HERMAN MOORE

Lion wideout Herman Moore isn't one of those players who likesto leave the game at the stadium. He brings it home so he candiscuss it with his personal trainer, who also happens to be hiswife, Angela. "We talk a lot about techniques," Moore says."When I get home, she'll say, 'I noticed something you didn'tdo,' or 'This might be why you made that mistake,'" Moore says."She's involved in what I do, and she can be critical."

But even Angela hasn't found much to criticize about herhusband's play in his fifth year in the league. Not even JerryRice or Michael Irvin have meant more to their teams than the6'3", 210-pound Moore has meant to the Lions. In the mostspectacular season ever for a Detroit receiver, Moore haslatched on to a league-high 108 receptions for 14 touchdowns anda club-record 1,522 yards.

In almost every game, Moore has done something special. Againstthe Packers on Oct. 29, he became the first Lion receiver since1985 to catch three touchdown passes in a game. Against theBears on Dec. 4, he made a club-record 14 receptions for acareer-high 184 yards. Then there was the TD catch he made onSept. 25 in the Lions' 27-24 upset of the 49ers.

Moore wasn't always so confident. As a rookie in 1991 he droppedso many balls that Detroit fans began to wonder if the Lions hadsquandered their No. 1 draft pick. He improved dramatically in1992, increasing his receptions from 11 to 51. But he didn'tbegin to reach his potential, or rid himself of the injuriesthat constantly nagged him, until he began working out withAngela in the summer of '94. Both had been members of the trackteam at Virginia, Angela as a distance runner and Herman as ahigh jumper.

"We push each other," says Angela, "and it's also a time totalk. We always feel like a team in everything we do, andworking out is part of that."

Herman credits the workouts for improving his strength, staminaand quickness. He's also tougher. In 1994, for the first time inhis pro career, Moore didn't miss a game because of an injury."You'll always have bumps and bruises," Moore says, "but whereit used to take me a week to shake them, now I can do it duringthe course of a game. Last season I turned an ankle and keptplaying. The year before, I missed a game with the same thing."Moore passed the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time in 1994,hauling in 72 passes for 1,173 yards and 11 scores. When Riceskipped the Pro Bowl, Moore was named as a replacement.

Although he has reached the top of his profession, Moore keepshis priorities in order. Being a member of Team Moore--he andAngela have two sons, Aaron, 3, and Ashton, 2--is more importantto him than being a member of the NFL's elite. "No matter howthe game turns out," Moore says, "I go into the tunnel and seemy wife and kids. That makes everything all right."

--W.F.R.

COLOR PHOTO: PETER YATES The Detroit wideout gives his wife much of the credit for his record-setting year with the Lions. [Herman Moore and Angela Moore]

Before he became the premier postseason performer of his generation, the Patriots icon was a middling college quarterback who invited skepticism, even scorn, from fans and his coaches. That was all—and that was everything